Matthew 28

Matthew 28 describes the resurrection of Jesus and the mission He gives to His disciples. It begins with Mary Magdalene and the other Mary visiting the tomb after the Sabbath and discovering that Jesus has risen. An angel announces the resurrection, and Jesus Himself appears to the women, comforting them and sending them to tell His disciples. The chapter also shows the religious leaders trying to cover up the truth by bribing the guards. Finally, Jesus meets His disciples in Galilee, declares that all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth, and commissions them to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey all that He commanded, with the promise that He will be with them always to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:1-10 (NKJV)
1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary come to see the tomb. A great earthquake happens, and an angel of the Lord comes down from heaven, rolls away the stone, and sits on it. His appearance is bright like lightning, and the guards tremble with fear and become like dead men. But the angel comforts the women, saying, “Do not be afraid,” because he knows they are seeking Jesus who was crucified. He tells them the good news: “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.” The empty tomb proves that Jesus has risen, just as He promised. The angel then sends the women to tell the disciples that Jesus is risen and will meet them in Galilee. The women leave with both fear and great joy, and as they go, Jesus Himself meets them and says, “Rejoice!” They hold His feet and worship Him, showing that He is truly alive, not just a spirit or vision. Jesus also tells them not to be afraid and calls His disciples “My brethren,” showing His mercy and love toward them even after they had failed and fled. This passage reveals the victory of the resurrection, the faithfulness of Jesus’ words, and the joy of seeing the risen Lord.

Matthew 28:11-15 (NKJV)
11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.
12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’
14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.”
15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

While the women go to tell the disciples, some of the guards go into the city and report to the chief priests everything that happened. Instead of repenting or accepting the truth, the chief priests and elders meet together and decide to cover up the resurrection. They give the soldiers a large sum of money and tell them to say that the disciples came at night and stole Jesus’ body while they were sleeping. They also promise to protect the guards if Pilate hears about it, because sleeping on duty could have brought serious punishment. This false report shows the hardness of the religious leaders’ hearts. Even when faced with clear evidence that Jesus had risen, they still chose lies, money, and self-protection over truth. Their attempt to deny the resurrection actually shows how powerful the truth was, because they had to invent a false story to explain the empty tomb.

Matthew 28:16-17 (NKJV)
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.
17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

The eleven disciples go to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to meet Him. When they see Him, they worship Him, showing that they recognize Him as the risen Lord. Yet Matthew also says that some doubted, showing the honesty of the account and the weakness of human faith. The disciples were not expecting an easy idea or a religious story; they were being confronted with the real resurrection of Jesus. Their worship shows faith, but their doubt shows that they were still processing what had happened. Jesus does not reject them because of their weakness. Instead, He speaks to them, gives them authority for mission, and strengthens them for the work ahead.

Matthew 28:18 (NKJV)
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

Jesus comes and declares, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” This means that the Father has given Him full authority over all creation, both in heaven and on earth. This fulfills the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, where the Son of Man receives dominion, glory, and a kingdom. Jesus is now the risen Lord, and His authority is the foundation for the Great Commission that follows. Because all authority has been given to Him, His disciples can go forward with confidence. Their mission does not depend on human strength, position, or power, but on the authority of Christ Himself.

Matthew 28:19 (NKJV)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 28:19 is one of the most debated verses in the New Testament and is often used to support the Trinitarian doctrine. However, even if the verse is accepted exactly as it stands, it does not prove three separate co-equal beings. Jesus says to baptize “in the name” — singular — not “in the names” of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Scripture, “name” often represents authority, character, commission, or power, not merely a personal title. For example, someone may act “in the name of the law,” but that does not make the law a person; it means the person is acting under the authority of the law. In the same way, the phrase “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” does not by itself prove that the Holy Spirit is a separate divine being like the Father and the Son, nor does it prove that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate co-equal persons united together as one Trinity God. Rather, it can be understood as baptism under the one saving authority by which God saves mankind. This authority begins with the Father, the only true God and supreme source of salvation, and has been given to His Son, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God and the Christ (John 17:3; John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 8:6). This fits the immediate context, because Jesus had just declared, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). The Father gives authority to the Son, and through the Son the Spirit is given to believers. The Holy Spirit, in this understanding, is not a third co-equal being, but the Spirit of Christ — Christ Himself present in Spirit form — through whom the Father and Son dwell and work in believers for sanctification, transformation, and the new life of the New Covenant (John 14:16–20; Romans 8:9–11; 2 Corinthians 3:17–18; Acts 2:33). Therefore, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ does not ignore the Father or the Holy Spirit. Rather, because all authority has been given to Jesus, baptism in His name includes the whole divine saving work: the Father as the source, the Son as the One through whom salvation is given, and the Spirit as the living presence and power of Christ in the believer. This explains why the apostles consistently baptized in the name of Jesus Christ in the book of Acts, rather than repeating the threefold wording of Matthew 28:19 (Acts 2:38; Acts 8:16; Acts 10:48; Acts 19:5). They understood that the name of Jesus carries the authority of the Father, reveals the Father’s saving purpose, and is the channel through which the Spirit is given. There is also a possibility that the wording of Matthew 28:19 developed over time and that Jesus may have originally commanded baptism “in My name.” This possibility is considered because the apostolic practice in Acts is always baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, the New Testament teaches that all things are to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17), some early writers such as Eusebius of Caesarea quoted the verse in a shorter form such as “in My name,” and no complete surviving copy of Matthew from the first two or three centuries is available today. Therefore, while the textual question cannot be stated with absolute certainty, the main point remains: Matthew 28:19, even as written, is best understood not as a definition of three co-equal persons, but as baptism into the full saving authority and revelation of God through His Son — from the Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit of Christ working in the believer.

Matthew 28:20 (NKJV)
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Jesus tells His disciples not only to baptize people but also to teach them to obey everything He commanded. This shows that making disciples is not only about helping people believe, but also about teaching them how to follow Jesus in daily life. Notice that Jesus did not say, “Teach them to observe the law.” He said, “Teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you,” which is more than that. This does not mean Jesus destroyed or rejected the law, because He already said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus fulfilled the law by bringing it to its true meaning, purpose, and fullness. Therefore, His disciples were not to teach people merely to keep the law of Moses in the oldness of the letter, but to follow the law as fulfilled and revealed in Christ (Romans 7:6). In Matthew 5, Jesus showed what this fulfilled understanding looks like. He did not only say, “Do not murder,” but He dealt with anger in the heart. He did not only say, “Do not commit adultery,” but He dealt with lust in the heart. He did not only speak about outward actions, but also about the inward spirit, motive, and character behind them. In this way, Jesus revealed the true intent of God’s law. He taught obedience from the heart, not merely outward religious performance. Therefore, when Jesus says to teach people to observe all things He commanded, He is pointing His disciples to His own teachings—faith in Him, love, humility, forgiveness, self-denial, mercy, purity of heart, and obedience by the Spirit. This is the New Covenant way of life. God’s will is not only written on stone or taught outwardly, but also written in the heart by His Spirit. Through Christ living in the believer, God produces love, righteousness, and true obedience. This is the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2) and the law of the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2). Obedience to Christ’s teachings is therefore part of true discipleship, not as legalism, but as the fruit of His Spirit working in one's life. Then Jesus gives His great promise: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Though He would no longer be physically present with them in the same way, He would still be with them through the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom He received from the Father and poured out on His disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2). Through the Spirit, Jesus is present with and within His people. He guides, strengthens, comforts, and empowers them to carry the gospel to the world. This promise means that His followers are never alone. Christ remains spiritually present with His people until the end of the age.